Tag: Core Fusion Cardio

This Week: Workouts, gearing up for lots of teaching & things I’m looking forward to

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Hi there! Can you believe this is the last week in August?? I seriously have no idea where the summer went, but to be honest, although I’m not ready for summer to be officially over, to have cooler weather and to lose some daylight hours, I am ready for fall. A slower schedule (hopefully), apple picking, pumpkin everything… you get the idea 🙂

I posted on Facebook last week that it was all about changing up workouts for me last week.

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When I was teaching a million classes a week, it was hard for me to try new things or change up what I was doing because I was on a tight schedule. However, now that I’ve lightened up my teaching schedule, I’m able to jump around and try new things. It didn’t hurt that I had 2 free classes at Exhale Spa before the end of the month 😉

My workouts, in addition to being different than usual, ended up being less intense, which came at a perfect time. Last week I was going through some stomach issues and a weird blurry eye/headache/sinus pressure thing, which made it really hard to workout (makes me so tired!). I’ve gotten them before, but never 3 in one week. Something weird is going on… hopefully it doesn’t happen this week because I’ve got a big week of teaching. RM is out of town so I took advantage of some subbing opportunities- never bad to make a little extra $$ 😉

Last Week’s Workouts

My workouts last week were on the lighter side, which is ok. It’s good to give your body a little break from the high intensity/impact workouts sometimes. I did a LOT of walking- both at lunch and after work since I went to 2 classes in the city, so that was a nice change of pace.

  • Monday- I still had a stomach ache when I woke up and was nervous about teaching my 6am class, but surprisingly enough, as soon as I started moving, I didn’t notice my stomach ache! There was just one girl in class but we had a killer workout!
  • Tuesday- I went to Exhale Spa for a Core Fusion Cardio class. I usually go to classes where Chrissy Snyder is teaching (because she’s amazing!), but she wasn’t teaching on Tuesday and that’s when I wanted to go so I went to a different instructor. She was good, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as Chrissy’s classes. Oh well!
  • Wednesday- My blurry eye thing was bad in the afternoon so I opted to go for a walk instead of run. I walked 20 minutes at lunch and power walked another 20 before teaching. I did about 50% of the class with my UXF Burn group- I hadn’t planned on doing any, but when I get in there and feel their energy, I can’t help myself!
  • Thursday- I walked 20 minutes at lunch and then went to Chrissy’s Core Fusion Yoga class at Exhale Spa after work. It was a great class- low impact but it had me shaking! Every time I go to yoga I’m reminded why I love it so much and why I should do it more often. Does it happen? not usually. sigh. haha

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  • Friday- I went to a Barry’s Bootcamp workout on the roof deck at the Revere Hotel. I thought it was a good workout, but it wasn’t as hard as I was thinking/hoping it would be! Still learned some good moves and got to workout with these beauties so I can’t complain!

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  • Saturday– Nothing 🙂 We walked the Marginal Way in Ogunquit but besides that, nothing.
  • Sunday– ANOTHER rest day! I don’t remember the last time I took 2 rest days in a row… it was actually nice. I’m teaching a lot this week so I figured it was best to rest. RM and I went on a 2 mile walk in the morning which was a nice way to wake up!

This Week’s Workouts

This is a big week of teaching and workouts for me! It’s funny how things tend to all happen at once- subbing, starting a new class, etc. That’s ok, though- having a big workout schedule before a long weekend is never a bad thing 😉

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6am Muscle Work class and will do some cardio after.
  • Tuesday- My friend Christy’s sister-in-law, Kerri, asked if I was up for leading a bootcamp for her and her friends. Umm, yes! of course I was up for that! Tuesday is our first session and I am excited!
  • Wednesday- Probably some light cardio before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- I’m subbing my old double! SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing- I’m so excited!!!
  • Friday- Rest day 🙂
  • Saturday- Teaching Cardio Kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA before heading to Maine for the long weekend.
  • Sunday- Not sure- maybe a walk with my mom and/or sister? maybe a bootcamp with them? maybe rest?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I am most excited about heading home to Maine this weekend for more than a 24 hour period. My sister is also going home, so it will be fun to just have the 4 of us since that hasn’t happened in-gosh- months and months! I foresee lots of laughs, lots of good food and lots of wine and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! I’m also excited for the first bootcamp session and going back to my Thursday night double 🙂

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Did you try anything new? What are you looking forward to this week? Has your summer gone by fast?

ClassPass in Review: Thoughts & Reviews of Classes

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Well, I’m sad to say that my month ClassPass membership has come and gone. Where the heck did those 30 days go?! Since my pass is done, though, I wanted to take some time to share my thoughts on the experience, as well as a brief overview of the classes that I was able to take in and around the Boston area.

Core Fusion Cardio- Exhale Spa

  • Location: Battery Warf
  • Website: http://www.boston.exhalespa.com/boston-battery-wharf-class-schedule
  • Instructor: Chrissy Snyder
  • Thoughts: It’s no surprise that I LOVED this class. I love everything about Exhale Spa. I think the classes are challenging, but rewarding, the instructors are super knowledgeable and the whole experience is worth a visit. I love that they have a phenomenal locker room because it’s nice to be able to shower after a class and carry on with the rest of my day.
  • Review: Exhale Spa: Core Fusion Fest

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Velo 45- Velo City

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Pursuit 45- Pursuit Boston

  • Location: Back Bay- Boylston Street
  • Website: http://pursuitboston.com/pages/schedule
  • Instructor: Amanda Lilley
  • Thoughts: I loved Pursuit Boston! Everyone was super friendly, the space was airy and bright, the energy was high and they had a shower (or 2?) that you could use after the class. They also had plenty of places to change and even had an area to stretch and use weights. The class didn’t use weights, but they are adding new “boot camp” cycle classes soon. They also had some shoes to borrow and provided free hair elastics and chapstick and your first class is free. Lastly, they offer a bunch of special packages which are worth checking out. I highly suggest trying it out.
  • Reviews: This Week: Workouts {lots of teaching again}, Review of Velo City & Pursuit Boston, Things I’m looking forward to

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Exhale Flow Yoga- Exhale Spa

  • Location: Battery Warf
  • Website: http://www.boston.exhalespa.com/boston-battery-wharf-class-schedule
  • Instructor: Michael Alba
  • Thoughts: This class was exactly what I needed the day that I went. It was a Sunday morning class, so the energy was peaceful and the instructor was amazing. Michael walked around throughout the class and assisted us, which I love. He helped me get deeper into poses so I could push myself past my boundaries and get the full effect of the post. The flow was well planned out and had smooth transitions. I left the class feeling 100 times better than when I went in!

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Request Ride- Recycle Studio

  • Location: Back Bay- Newbury Street
  • Website: http://www.recycle-studio.com/schedule-2/
  • Instructor: Linsday Bucci
  • Thoughts: Again, it’s no surprise that I loved this class.  Out of all the cycling studio’s I’ve been to in Boston, Recycle stands true to be my favorite. I feel like it’s the best total body workout because we do chest presses, triceps pushes, core exercises and upper body weight routines all while on the saddle. Lindsay’s classes are awesome because her playlists are amazing, her words are motivating and she has us in 2nd or 3rd position most of the time, which I love since I hate sitting in the saddle for too long! The only thing I think Recycle lacks compared to other indoor cycling studios is the fact that they don’t offer a free first class… or anything free for that matter. Shoe rentals are $2 and they charge for elastics and other little things like that that most other studios offer for free.
  • Review: #hellyesyoucan {My First Recycle Studio Experience}

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Fly 45- Flywheel Boston

  • Location: Back Bay- Prudential Center
  • Website: http://boston.flywheelsports.com/reserve/back-bay
  • Instructor: Jessica L
  • Thoughts: Meh. I wasn’t feeling this class, partly because it was a Friday morning, which means I’m usually beat from my double on Thursday night and partly because the room was more empty than full. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the instructor’s music, choreography or instruction style. However, I have been to classes there that I loved- Ana is an amazingggg instructor, so I would suggest a class with her! I love that Flywheel is huge, so it can fit a lot of people. I also like that there is a score board- I was concerned about this at first, but the fact that they only put that up when they want you to race and challenge yourself makes it a great tool! All of your rides are stored within your profile, so you can see your progress throughout the weeks, which is cool. Shoe rentals are free (yay), your first class is free (double yay) and they have hair elastics. There are a few showers to use as well.
  • Reviews: Indoor Cycling at Flywheel, ClassPass is here!

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Pilates Mat ReMIXX- Boston Body

  • Location: Back Bay- Newbury Street
  • Website: http://www.bostonbody.com/locations-schedules/boston-new/
  • Instructor: Jessica L
  • Thoughts: I loved this class! It was a nice change of pace from my usual high-intensity, high-impact workouts. This was the same instructor as the Flywheel instructor and I have to say I liked her a lot better in this environment! She gave a great workout- we did weights at the beginning that literally made my arms cry. I was embarrassed that I had to take breaks with 3lb. weights! From there we moved to some core work and then the glute work, which, again, killed me. I couldn’t even finish a set, which actually got kind of discouraging. I like to be challenged and feel the burn, but I also like to be able to achieve the task at hand. Oh well, something to work towards! I liked the studio space a lot and the employees were super friendly. They offer a wide range of Pilates classes.
  • Review: This Week: Workouts & Things I’m Looking Forward To {Birthday Week pt 1}

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Pilates Tower- Studio J

  • Location: Government Center
  • Website: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=44032
  • Instructor: Kristina Shumsky
  • Thoughts: LOVED it. I was lucky enough to end up having a private lesson with Kristina and she was amazing. She asked about my fitness levels, areas of concern and what I would like to achieve during our half hour and went to town. We did all sorts of stuff that left me quite humbled. I liked that the majority of the classes were just a half hour- it was a nice change from the usual 45-60 minute commitment. We used the tower machines, which can be intimidating at first, but they are really an amazing tool. The studio has only been opened for about 2 months, but they offer a number of pilates and yoga classes. I definitely suggest trying it out and maybe you could be lucky and have a private, too.
  • Review: This Week: Workouts & Things I’m Looking Forward To {Birthday Week pt 1}

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As you can see, I was able to jump around to a number of different studios to try out a nice variety of classes. The beauty of ClassPass is that it doesn’t allow you to visit the same studio more than 3 times in a month, which is great because it forces you to venture out and try new places. It would have been easy for me to go to the same studio and class throughout the month, but I tried to branch out and try classes and studios that I may not have tried otherwise.

Although I absolutely love ClassPass and think it is the most brilliant idea, there are some “cons” to the system that I found out as I learned more about the membership. I feel it’s only fair for me to share these with you, too. They definitely aren’t deal breakers for me, but rather just things to keep in mind!

  • You have to schedule your class 24 hours + in advance. While this isn’t a huge deal, it can be frustrating when you realize you can take a class the next morning, yet you can’t actually book it since it’s less than 24 hours away. It can be hard to plan out your week of workouts days in advance, but it’s kind of necessary to do when using ClassPass.
  • You can’t cancel a class. Once you book the class, you’re committed to it, otherwise you lose your class and have to pay $20. I do have to say, though, that when this happened to me (totally on accident), they waived the fee and gave me the class back. I wonder what would happen if you learned you could no longer take a class you signed up to take? I bet if you emailed them an let them know about the situation they would help you.
  • Not all classes at a particular participating studio are included in the ClassPass schedule. I’m not sure why this is the case (maybe because they are “high demand” classes and fill up on their own with non ClassPass members?), but it’s something to be aware of.

As you can see, my “cons” aren’t anything too major, especially if you know about them in advance. Otherwise, I think ClassPass is absolutely worth the money for a month membership. With the number of participating studios seemingly increasing on the daily, you’re sure to find a class that fits your need/want for a particular day. Whether it be a high intensity cardio class, barre class, Pilates class, yoga class or spin class, you can find something both in the city and the city’s surrounding towns.

Thank you, again, to ClassPass for providing me with a membership to see what it was all about. It was such a fun month!

Disclaimer: Although I was provided with a free month membership to CLassPass, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Questions for you: Have you been to any of the classes or studios I’ve listed above? Have any of you signed up for ClassPass?

 

A jam-packed weekend full of working out & dining out

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Do you ever have those weekends where you’re so busy you feel like you need another day just to breathe and catch up on everything you didn’t catch up on over the weekend? That was me last weekend… and, well, all of last week, actually. I have spent the majority of the beginning of this week catching up on everything I wasn’t able to do last week or this week- my floors need to be washed desperately, but that keeps getting pushed further and further down my list, which is totally ok 🙂

Anyway! After work on Friday, I met up with someone for drinks at Vintage Lounge, which I hadn’t been to in years! From there, we headed to Sakurabana for sushi (as a Catholic, I’m not supposed to eat meat on Friday’s during lent, so sushi was a perfect option!).

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Saturday started with kickboxing (loved seeing Jen, Mary, Valerie, Dani and all the other familiar faces!) as my first workout and then I met my sister at Exhale Spa for a Core Fusion Cardio class with my sister. We met up with our friend, Jessi, for lunch at Anthem. It was such a beautiful day in the city- perfect for walking around and having lunch out (actually, who am I kidding- any day is a great day for lunch out in my mind!). We shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, the Fondue (cannot go there without getting it- SO SO SO good) and a pizza.

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I did some serious bar/restaurant hopping on Saturday night, which was great at the time, but not so great when I had to wake up at 7:45am on Sunday to teach a 9am class, after having gone to bed at 1:30am and losing an hour of sleep due to the time change. Womp. Oh well, I made sure to not drink too much so at least I wasn’t hungover! My Saturday night locations included: Prima E Dopo, Back Bay Social Club, M Bar at the Mandarin Hotel and finally Towne… phew! I wasn’t kidding when I said I hopped around 😉

Sunday I taught my 7th class of the week, puttered at Target and then did my CPR recertification. Not really my favorite way to spend a Sunday, but I didn’t really have a choice!

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Lunch at Pizza Etc. after the recertification did make me happy… I’ve missed their Greek salad with grilled chicken. When I lived in Brighton, Rachel and I would get that salad once a week!

By the time I grocery shopped and got home, the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. I ended up going to Santarpio’s to grab pizza… not the healthiest choice, but I had been craving it for a while so I decided to just do it. It did give me a crazy bad stomach ache later on- I wonder if it was the pizza or just the fact that I had eaten out literally all weekend.

By the time Monday rolled around, I was so ready for my usual clean eats! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy eating out and would never deprive myself of it, but my body just likes it better when I don’t eat out consecutively for days in a row. I used to let it bother me when I would eat out a lot, but at this point in my life, I’ve gotten to a place where I just let it go and enjoy it because I know as soon as Monday rolls around, I’ll be back on track with my eats. No better way to do that then kale & onion stuffed turkey meatballs served over spaghetti squash and sautéed veggies, right?

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I’ve been enjoying this all week!

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Did you try any new workouts/classes/studios? Did you go to any new restaurants? Have you been to any of the ones that I went to over the weekend? Do you beat yourself up after indulgent weekends of eating out and drinking? What’s the first thing you do to get back on track?

Weekly Workouts!

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Hey everyone! Happy Memorial Day! Anyone going to any parades? We usually do, but not this year… bummer! I LOVE parades. Anyway, let’s get to the workouts.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Besides walking to and from work from the T and walking home from the T (in all, about 2.5 miles), I rested. I was really sore from workouts over the weekend and wanted to make dinner, so I opted to take the time I gained from not working out and be productive around the apartment!
  • Tuesday- I went to the Wellington BSC and had an awesome workout! I went on the elliptical for 30 minutes, ran for 10 minutes on the treadmill, did lots of ab stuff on the TRX bands and did this:

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I ran these stairs- they were killer.

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  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and Kickboxing. In SHRED, rather than compound movements (like I usually like to do- more bang for the buck), I focused on lifting heavier and only focusing on one exercise (squats, biceps curls, etc.). Fun to switch things up!
  • Friday- I played around for about 30 minutes practicing new kickboxing combinations for Saturday, trying out some new moves I learned from Women’s Health and used my band for upper body work.
  • Saturday- Taught a VERY sweaty kickboxing class. I’d show you a picture of my sports bra (signs of a good workout=sports bra soaked), but that would be gross. Athena came, which is always fun!
  • Sunday- Mostly a rest day, although I spent some time in the morning doing glute and ab work!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I am still home in Maine and will definitely be doing something, just not sure what that is yet. Maybe a jog, maybe Deck of Cards, maybe a strength workout with mom and my sister??
  • Tuesday- I’ll head to the gym after work and probably do something similar to last week: cardio and strength training!
  • Wednesday- Cardio before class and then teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- SHRED and Kickboxing
  • Friday- something low-impact, as I have realized that I need that after teaching (and doing) a double and knowing that I have to teach Kickboxing the next day. I like to use Friday’s to focus on strength training!
  • Saturday- 3rd week in a row of teaching Kickboxing at the YMCA! Woohoo! Such a high energy crowd- I love it.
  • Sunday- Rest 🙂

Questions for you: What was your favorite workout last week? Try anything new? Anything make you really sore? Looking forward to anything this week? Do share!

Exhale Spa: Core Fusion Fest

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A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone at Women’s Health inviting me to join them for a Core Fusion class at Exhale Spa.

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Umm, twist my arm, will ya? It’s well-known that I love all things health and fitness related, so of course I said yes! In addition to my love of working out, I love to take new-to-me classes, because they are always humbling. I may be able to Kickbox for an hour no problem, but Core Fusion Cardio for an hour? An entirely different story!

Anyway, May 22nd was “Fusion Fest” at Exhale Spa- how fun?! I signed up for the 7:45am Core Fusion Cardio class with Chrissy Snyder.

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From their website, here is how they describe the class:

core fusion cardio

Sweat it out in this barre-less, fat-blasting cardio class, designed to sculpt and tone your entire body. Consisting of weights, mountain climbers, karate kicks, speed skaters, flowing yoga poses, and an ab sculpting series, this high-intensity class followed by a calming cool finish will leave you feeling energized and strong. Kick your heart rate into high gear with this non-stop, endorphin-filled hour. Open to all levels.

Well, I’d say that was a perfect description! I wish my heart rate monitor worked, because I’d love to see that stats on what I burned for calories and what my average heart rate was in the class. It felt HIGH the whole time! Mountain climbers after mountain climbers after mountain climbers, and lots of push-ups squeezed in between and then the legs and weights! My goodness. My legs were absolutely BURNING during the lunge portion of the class. I actually had to take multiple breaks.

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Chrissy did a wonderful job speaking clearly throughout the class without fumbling her words. She was incredibly encouraging and I really liked how she counted out loud the whole time because personally, I like knowing how much longer I have… it helps me push through the pain! She also remembered my name right away- big plus in my eyes! As an instructor, this is something I am constantly working on because I think it makes people feel really good when you remember their name and refer to them by name throughout the class.

We worked through “sets” throughout class. The first set was primarily mountain climbers and push-ups, and from there, we focused on upper body, lower body, kickboxing (umm hello. loved this!!), more mountain climbers and push-ups and ended with great core work. Mind you, we did cardio throughout the WHOLE class. I have never done so many mountain climbers! My shoulders will be screaming tomorrow. A lot of the poses were yoga moves, too, which felt great.

011Going into the class, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I think the class exceeding any expectations I could have had! I loved that the cardio was relatively low-impact… my poor joints need that. By the time we finished our core work, I was more than ready to shower and eat!

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The locker room at Exhale was absolutely beautiful. I loved the products and the fact that they had everything you could ever need: towels, robes, slippers, combs, hair gel, deodorant, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, razors, shower caps, q-tips. Seriously, they didn’t miss a thing!

016I was so happy that I took the morning off from work today so I could have as much time as I wanted in the locker room! It’s always such a nice change of pace from the usual locker rooms I am in 🙂

After I was showered and lotioned up, I checked out my swag bag:

022There were coupons in there for future visits, and I can absolutely guarantee I will be going back. I also want to look into the Sports Massage that they offer as I think that would be super beneficial for my sore and overworked muscles!

Big, big, BIG thank you to Women’s Health and Exhale Spa for inviting me to such a wonderful event! I received such a warm welcome from Samantha and Chrissy and all of the other employees… Can’t wait to go back!

Questions for you: Have you ever done a Core Fusion class? What’s your favorite thing to find in a locker room? Favorite thing about trying a new class?